You Can Leave
by TheGreatNoodle
Summary: Emily has been working at Gems magazine for a year now with her 2 best friends. The new girl, Alison DiLaurentis easily fits in and turns the company upside down with her destructive behavior. Can Emily be the one to stop it or will Alison continue her disastrous ways?
1. Chapter 1

**Emily**

Click. Click. Click. "Emily!" She almost falls out of her chair but remained silent knowing the brunette didn't care.

"Yes Mona" , she said calmly.

"Hannah wants you" , instantly spinning 180 degrees and speeding in the other direction. Emily gets up from her chair and starts walking toward Hannah's office. She pondered on how Mona acted like the boss when she was the executive assistant. She reaches the office and peaks her head into the door. "Would you like some coffee before you talk to me?" Hannah's face lit up in excitement, "You read my mind! Thanks Em". Emily started the machine and hummed a random tune. Emily thought about how much she enjoyed working for Gems magazine, for Hannah in particular. She remembered being a senior in college and sending Hannah her portfolio. Hannah wasn't sure about hiring her but she still gave Emily a chance because she wanted "young minds" , which is how her best friends, Spencer and Aria also got the job. She handed Hannah the coffee and sat across from her desk. "So, I have some news for you". Emily waited for her to finish but she too busy chugging the coffee down. "I swear every time I drink it, it gets better". Her comment made the brunette dip her head in embarrassment while Mona rolled her eyes and left the office. "Anyway, I don't want you to plan anything from August 10th to the 20th. There is a chance you will go to Morocco. We need a photographer and you are one of the best workers we have here". After a couple of seconds of being in shock, Emily was still speechless. She had only worked there for a year and Hannah was thinking about her for a trip to Morocco. She looked up and saw Hannah waiting for a response. "Wow. I don't know what to say...thank you so much. Nothing will stop me from proving to you that I'm the perfect for the job", she replied enthusiastically. Hannah nodded her head and gave an appreciative smile. Emily stood up slowly to refrain herself from jumping around her office. She quickly walked across the hall ready to tell her best friends the news, knowing nothing would get in her way.

 **Alison**

"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

"Relax CeCe, I'm working at a magazine company not giving away a kidney"

"Don't get sassy with me. I just want you to know how much responsibility you need for this job."

"I'll be fine" ,Alison replied slightly annoyed. She knew how CeCe loved to worry about her and mainly because she knew Alison best. In three days, the blonde would be an employee at Gems magazine. She remained confident because she already knew Hannah Marin loved her work, which left her with nothing else to worry about. "Sure you will. Just go to sleep". Alison looked at the clock and saw the small hand at 10. "It's only 10 o'clock and I start in three days". "Exactly. Your sleeping patterns are horrible and you'll need a lot of rest with your job", CeCe responded. Alison rolled her eyes. "And don't roll your eyes at me. Good night Ali". Alison giggled which lead the both of them to start laughing. "Good night CeCe", and she ended the call.

 **Emily**

It was noon when Hannah came in the middle of the office. "Can I have everyone's attention?", she said loudly. Within seven seconds everyone's eyes were on her or the blue-eyed blonde standing next to her. Emily walked closer to get a better look at her. "Thank you. This is Alison DiLaurentis and she will be working in our photography department. Feel free to ask her questions. Her room will be next to Emily's on the left side". Hannah looked at Alison and gave her a hand gesture to speak. Alison smiled, "Good afternoon. I'm very excited to work with all of you. A little about me is...I'm 25 years old, I speak French and some Spanish, and I love fashion so if you need any advice give me a call", giving a quick glance at the woman next to her with a long yellow dress. "Alright", Hannah said clapping her hands together, "Back to work lovelies", walking off to her office. Allison started walking toward her new office. As she got closer Alison caught Emily's eyes staring at her. Emily froze scared for the reaction of the blonde. She sauntered toward Emily with a smile. She wore a black dress that was slightly below the knee and hugged her curves just right. She stopped three feet away from where she stood, "Hey, it's Emily right?" Emily nodded her head, "Yup. That's me". She hated herself for sounding cheesy when she was nervous. The blonde smirked, "That's cute. I hope we both enjoy the experience of being coworkers".

"Me too. It's not every day we get someone around your age here." Alison raised her eyebrows in interest. "Really? So mostly everyone is middle aged or older?"

"Yeah, but they're still cool and we have a lot of fun".

"That's good to hear. Well, I have to start setting up my office but it was nice meeting you". Emily gave her a wide grin, "You too, and if you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask me. "Thanks", she gave one last smile and entered the office. Emily plopped back in her chair and sighed deeply, not having a clue about what would be in store for them in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alison**

Alison was sitting down in the cafeteria, surrounded by people listening to her stories. It was her first day and she already had half of the office waiting to talk to her. She knew socializing wouldn't be a problem so she used it to her advantage. "It's really cold in here", she said rubbing her hands up and down her arms. A man with glasses and freckles stood and began to take off his sweater which revealed his slacks above the waist like Urkel. Alison laughed to herself and took the sweater.

"Thanks uhh-"

"Greg", he said quickly.

"So what did he do after you broke up with him for her?", one of the ladies said, who was interested in every story Alison told. "Well I we-", Alison saw Emily enter the cafeteria with a tall and short brunette next to her. The tall one was dressed very professional and the other was in a colorful dress. "I'll be back", she said standing up. They all made a sad face, "Don't worry my darlings, to be continued". She walked off and stood in front of the three girls.

 **Emily**

"That's really amazing. Congrats Emily", Aria said. "Well I didn't get the trip yet so I can't be too excited", Emily said calmly. When she entered she saw Alison surrounded by at least 15 people at the corner of the cafeteria. She had never seen so many people together for lunch since they had free sushi Tuesdays. They sat down and before she could open her container a figure came into her peripheral vision. She looked up and saw Alison smiling, waiting for their attention. "Hey Alison", Emily said in a slightly high pitch. "Hey, who are your friends?", she said looking at the women next to her. Emily faced toward the two girls, "This is Spencer", putting her hand on her shoulder. "And this is Aria", pointing to the shorter one. They both waved at Alison. "Nice to meet you. What do you two do here?", Alison asked curiously. Aria and Spencer looked at each other to decide who would speak first. Spencer chose for the both of them and spoke, "Well, I am in charge of editing the the writing portions of the magazine before they make copies". Alison shook her head and switched her attention to Aria. "And I edit the photos that will be in the magazine". Alison gave an approving look and began to think hard about something. After a couple of seconds of silence, Alison started to speak. "There's a party in Westchester tonight and you guys should come. You seem like a fun group of people". The three girls have doubtful looks at each other. Emily thought it was a really bold move to ask three people she barely knew to come with her to a party. "I don't know", Spencer said on behalf of what they were all thinking. Alison pouted. "I know it's my first day here and all, but this will be a great way to break the ice and show you guys some of my life. What do you think Emily?", placing her hand on Emily's shoulder smiling in her direction. Emily's whole body tensed up and she quickly thought of something to say that could get her hand off before she would start sweating. "I think it's a great idea. C'mon guys it'll be fun", giving them pleading eyes. "Sure", they said in unision. Alison removed her hand from Emily's shoulder and placed it on her hip. "Great! Meet me in the lobby at six", and she walked off to her crowd.

"What the hell Em?!", Spencer said furiously

"Hey, it could be fun", Emily said in protest.

"The only reason you agreed is because you think she's cute".

Emily looked shocked, "That's not...Im...she's just...erm...okay fine she is but that doesn't mean it won't be fun".

"Sure", Spencer said with a fake smile.

 ***Later that day***

The three women were on their way to the lobby to meet Alison. When they arrived she was nowhere in sight. When the clock hit six each of their phones rang. They looked at each other and took out their phone. Emily looked at her notifications and saw a message from an unknown number. She clicked on it. _Hey this is Alison. I'm outside._ "How'd she get our numbers so fast?", Aria said in disbelief. Spencer shrugged, "She gets around". They exited the building and heard a loud honk. They all spotted a black Nissan waiting outside. Emily called shotgun and Aria and Spencer sat in the back. Alison greeted them with a warm smile and drove off.

 **Alison**

Alison didn't think the trio would agree to go with her to the party. But thanks to Emily, they were on their way. When she hit a red light she used her peripheral vision to look at the brunette next to her. Emily was staring outside of the window with her skin glowing and eyes sparkling. Alison thought some girls were pretty, but Emily was beautiful. Alison thought back to see Emily's smile but was interrupted by a honk behind her. She continued to drive and Emily's eyes left the window to look at her. "Are you okay?" , she said almost whispering. "Yeah, I'm fine".


	3. Chapter 3

**Emily**

Emily heard the party before they even arrived. Alison parked outside of the gate with all the other cars. They walked on a path leading to a large estate. Emily had never seen a place so beautiful. There were about fifteen types of flowers in rows and a fountain in front of it. The three girls were in awe.

When they entered the estate it looked like a teenage movie party except a more mature. There wasn't any unnecessary yelling or throwing furniture. Emily looked around. There were people playing beer pong, dancing, smoking, and talking. She even saw a man taking a woman upstairs which made her giggle. "Alison?" The four women's eyes met a woman with jet black hair and a big smile on her face. "Hey Sydney". Alison hugs her and introduces Sydney to them. "Nice to meet you. Let me get y'all some drinks. Alfred!", she yells out, getting the attention of a butler. "Get these ladies a drink". He nods his head and walks off to the bar.

When they received their drinks they chatted to get to know each other. After 10 minutes Alison tells them she'll be back and leaves with Sydney. Emily looked at her friends, "Sooo?". Aria and Spencer sighed, "It's not that bad I guess". Emily smiled.

Two hours and a half passed and Alison still didn't come back. "Where the hell is she?", Spencer asked now impatient and annoyed. "Let's split up to look for her and come back here in fifteen minutes", Aria said. They nodded and split up. Emily had no idea where to go first. She decided to go to the back yard. It was getting crowded and even harder to get by because of the guys trying to talk to Emily. She stood on a chair and looked around but didn't see Allison. As she walked to a new place to look she became confused. Why would Alison invite them if they wouldn't even be together? They did have fun for a while but it was getting late and all of them had work the next day. Plus they were in Westchester. The more she thought about it, the more angry she was. When she met up with the girls again, they had to think of a way to get home. Emily had an idea but didn't like it. "Give me a second". She walked until they couldn't see her anymore. She looked around for one of the men that hit on her. She found one of them dancing with whipped cream in his hand spraying it with people.

She walked up to him and smiled, "Hey".

"Hey. Did you finally realize what a sexy beast I am?", he said flexing his non existent muscles.

"Yeahh. About that. Let's make a deal."

"I'm listening", he said interested.

"If you drive me and my friends home...I'll give you my number".

The man laughed, "You know that's not enough".

Emily groaned, "What do you want a kiss?"

"Yeah".

"That was a joke", Emily said even more pissed off.

"Oh. Well I guess you and your friends will be walking home. Alone. At night", he said slowly walking away.

"Ugh. Fine."

"Yes! Let's go."

They walked to Aria and Spencer. "Hey this is Chad. He's driving us to the train".

"Nice to meet you ladies", giving their hand a kiss. They smiled and took their hands back. They looked at Emily and she mouthed _I did the best I could._ "Alright. Let's go!", he said walking off.

They arrived at the train station about twenty minutes later. "Can you start getting the tickets. I'll catch up". They were suspicious but left anyway. "Okay give me your phone". Chad gave her his phone, holding back his excitement. She put in a number (that wasn't hers) and gave him the phone back. She opened the door. "Wait my kiss!" She turned around and gave him a blow kiss, "You didn't say what type of kiss. But thanks for the ride. It means a lot". Chad was in shock but laughed it off and yelled out, "No problem!", as she walked off.

 **Alison**

When Alison left with Sydney they went to the basement which was off-limits for anyone who wasn't close to Sydney. They sat down on a couch surrounded by people gambling and playing pool.

"Sooo which one was it?", Sydney asked.

"Was what?", Alison responded confused.

"You brought three people you just met here. I know you have your eye on one of them".

Alison laughed. "It's Emily".

"I knew it!"

After a couple minutes of talking a man called out to Alison. "Yo Alison. You wanna play?", shaking dice in his hand.

"I would but I don't want you to go home broke".

"Ohhh!", people around him yelled, instigating the situation.

He smiled, "Try me".

Alison got up and started walking toward him, "You asked for it".

People were crowding around Alison. Watching her win every round against anyone who was brave enough to play. Alison was getting bored and stopped playing when the game finished. They chanted her name and she bowed, "Thank you. Thank you". As she went upstairs she counted her earnings and got 1,050. She wasn't surprised. People with a lot of money usually thought they'd win toward the end by betting big. But that wasn't the case when playing with Alison. She had played since she was younger and may have perfected her skills. Alison looked around for the trio, but she couldn't find them. She checked her phone and realized she had been playing for about three hours. "Shit", she mumbled to herself. Also, the three girls had been calling her. She assumed they left and she knew they were mad at her. She texted Emily, asking if they left just in case. Two minutes later her phone buzzed. She clicked on the text from Emily that read _yup._ Alison knew she was furious. Everyone knew that "yup" meant the person didn't want to talk and a period at the end usually meant they were serious. Alison knew she could fix just didn't know how.


	4. Chapter 4

**The next day**

 _Beep. Beep._ Alison woke up and turned off her alarm. She figured out what to do during the ride home last night. With her earnings from gambling she knew it wouldn't hurt to spend some of it.

Alison was standing online waiting to order. She had to leave a little earlier, knowing that it was usually crowded there. She was next in line and walked up to the cashier waiting for her.

"Hi, welcome to Starbucks".

"Hello. Can I have two $20 gift cards, one $30 gift card, three medium caramel frappe's, and three sausage, cheddar, and egg sandwiches".

The cashier took her name and Alison stepped to the side waiting to be called. If Alison knew anything it was how much people love Starbucks and food if anything. Plus coffee was like a trend and she was sure they drunk it. She planned to approach them one at a time because it would make it easier for them to forgive her separately. But that didn't mean it wouldn't be hard. "Alison!", one of the workers yelled. She took her order and sped off so the food wouldn't get cold and coffee wouldn't melt too fast.

 **Emily**

Emily had a rough morning. She woke up 30 minutes late because she didn't hear her alarm. Then when starting to wash her face she realized there was no hot water, so she had to quickly boil some as she got ready. She knew in order to be on time she couldn't make breakfast so she left her apartment with a granola bar that would barely help her hunger.

Emily made it one minute early with a few drops of sweat on her face. She had to park three blocks away and ran to the building. Out of breath, she dropped her forehead on her desk. _Grrrr._ Her stomach began to growl and she groaned. She stayed in that position until she heard a knock on the door. She jumped up and tried to act casual, "Come in". Alison entered causing Emily to slouch again.

"Ouch. Not excited to see me?"

"What do you want Alison?"

"Well, I'm here to apologize for yesterday. What I did was rude and inconsiderate".

"Got that right", Emily mumbled to herself.

"I don't expect you to forgive me so easily but I wanted you to hear me out. And this is sort of a sorry gift", placing down the coffee, sandwich, and card on her desk. Emily looked at what Alison placed on front of her. The smell of the sandwich was driving her crazy but she didn't want Alison to get off the hook so easily. "I don't want your gifts", she said looking off to the side. _Grrrrrrr._ The growl was loud enough for Alison to hear. Emily looked at Alison and saw her trying not to smile.

"It's the least I can do. Plus, it sounds like-"

"Don't say it", Emily interrupted.

Watching Alison hold back laughter almost made her burst out laughing but she held it in.

"Alright. I'll leave it to you and thanks for listening".

Alison started to walk off but turned around to say something else. "Oh! And the card has 30 dollars on it. Don't tell Aria and Spencer, they have 20 on theirs". She made a shushing gesture and walked again. "Thanks", Emily said before she exited. Alison gave a small smile and closed the door. Emily didn't know what to think about Alison. But it wasn't the time to think about it. She picked up the wrapped up sandwich and rushed for her first bite.

Emily, Aria, and Spencer were at their usual spot in the cafeteria with Alison still in the corner with an even bigger group of people.

"So what did you guys say to her?" Aria asked.

"Well… I yelled a little", Spencer said. Both girls laughed. "Of course you did. Typical Spencer", Aria said.

"Oh shush. We both know what you did too. Which was giving her a quick death stare and Aria's infamous eye roll", Spencer said copying Aria's death stare. Emily could barely breathe from laughing so hard. "Shut up. Anyway. What about you Em?", Aria said trying to change the subject. Emily told them what happened and the two girls nearly fell out of their seats from laughing.

"That's not funny. It was embarrassing" Emily said with a pout.

"I would have paid money to see it", Spencer said trying to breathe again.

"Whatever", Emily said taking a quick glance at Alison.

 **Alison**

Alison was enjoying herself at work. Everyone knew her, Hannah liked her even more since they'd met, and the three girls started talking to her again (mostly Emily). Alison knew she had to take better pictures to keep up with the people who've been working there longer. She wasn't trying to be better than anyone, she just wanted to pull her own weight. The last thing she wanted to do was ask for help. As she left her lunch group to go to the restroom, she heard a small moan. She stopped to listen where the sound was coming from. When she found the door she took a peek to see who it was. When she saw the faces she realized it was Noel and Linda. She thought back and remembered Noel was married with kids. _Maybe this isn't a bad thing_ she thought. Alison quietly moved inside the room and closed the door behind her. She moved closer, took a picture, and then dropped a binder to get their attention. They jumped and saw Alison. "Oops", Alison said covering her mouth. They both froze, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "You. Out", she said pointing to Linda. She quickly got off Noel and almost sprinted out of the room. "Hey there buddy", Alison said walking toward him.

 **Authors note**

I'm going to try to update faster. I usually do once every 10 days but I want to do once a week. Thanks for reading! Thoughts/Comments are appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

He was still frozen and unable to speak.

"I know your wife would not be happy with this. And the kids…those poor kids", watching fear build in his eyes. He raced toward Alison, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Please don't tell anyone. I'll do anything!" Alison pretended to think about what she wanted even though she already knew.

"Speaking of wives…yours would be perfect to be in our magazine".

"She's not into that kind of thing and she hates pictures. Anything other than that please?!" he responded quickly.

"Well that's just too bad. There's nothing else I want. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Wait!" he said grabbing her arm.

"Like I said there's nothing else I want, so that's the end of this conversation", she said snatching her arm back and walking out.

When she returned to her table, the group waited for her to say something but she remained quiet. She didn't want to just tell them and seem like the bad guy.

"What's wrong Alison?" one of the women said with a worried face.

"Oh it's nothing" Alison said faking a smile.

"You can tell us", she replied.

"Well if you say so", everyone's eyes were on her. "I was on my way to the bathroom and I saw…", leaving a dramatic pause to make sure everyone was engaged. "Noel making out with Linda". There were gasps all around her, one after another. "Are you sure it was them?" She took out her phone and searched for the photo, "See for yourself", turning the phone around so they all could see. Alison could tell they were all in shock. "I know, it's terrible", bowing her head in silence.

 **Emily**

Emily couldn't believe what she heard. A few minutes ago she left the cafeteria to catch up to Allison and talk to her. Walking down the hall, she spotted Linda running toward her. Linda passed her and Emily looked forward to see what door she exited. Before she entered she heard Alison's voice and paused. She peaked through the door and heard the whole conversation. When she heard Alison's footsteps coming closer she ran across the hall and jumped into an empty office. After she knew she was gone, she left the office and walked back to Aria and Spencer. Alison was starting to grow on her but hearing this made Emily question everything about her. When she entered the cafeteria, Alison had her head down. Emily rolled her eyes and sat down in front of the girls.

"I just heard Alison blackmailing Noel".

The two girls eyebrows rose. "What?", Aria asked.

"I'm guessing she caught him and Linda doing something and used that against him." Spencer sighed, "I knew she was bad news". Although Emily felt like there had to be a reason behind it but she was still disappointed. She looked at the clock and realized her lunch break was over. "I'll see you guys later", giving a smile and walking off. Sitting in her chair she began to think. Alison was sneaky and somewhat deceiving but she was also thoughtful, funny, smart, and don't forget beautiful. From her ocean blue eyes to bright smile. Emily was in a daze, thinking about Alison positively and negatively. She was thinking so deeply she wasn't paying attention to someone calling her name. "Huh?", she said realizing Paige McCullers was in front of her. A woman slighter shorter than her with short hair and big brown eyes.

"I was going to ask if you're okay. You look confused about something", tilting her head.

"No. I'm fine...so what brings you here?" Emily asked curiously.

Paige smiled and took a deep breath, "I got two free tickets to watch any movie and I was wondering if you would go with me on Saturday?" Emily wasn't surprised. Paige had asked her if she wanted to hang out once in awhile. After the first and only time Emily said yes. Paige became really overprotective. And in order to prevent that from happening again, she declined any offers she had.

"Thank you but I'm busy this weekend".

"I see. Maybe next time?" she said smiling hard. Emily responded with a smile and Paige left the office.

 **Alison**

Sitting down, she felt her bladder about to burst. She stood up and headed for the bathroom. It was her third time going to the bathroom thanks to Greg's "special" drink that was passed down in his family. It was good, but not worth the amount of trips she would have to the restroom. On her way to the sink she saw the beautiful woman washing her hands. Alison realized she hadn't talked to Emily for about a week. She wondered why but quickly ignored it and greeted the woman.

"Hey Emily". Alison could tell she was caught off guard. "Sorry", Alison said giggling.

"It's okay", she said returning to washing her hands.

"How are you? It's been awhile" Alison said.

"Yeah it has. I'm pretty good and yourself?"

"I'm great", Alison replied walking to the dryer.

"Of course you are", giving a small smile with a little sarcasm behind it.

"What's that suppose to mean?" now confused.

"Nothing. Nothing", shaking her head. "I'll see you around", she opened the door and left. Alison stood there, frozen with her eyes squinted, trying to understand what the hell just happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**Emily**

It had been a couple of days since Emily had seen Alison in the bathroom. She didn't mean to be so harsh but her emotions got the best of her. She was sending an email when she heard the familiar sound of heels clicking. The dark-haired woman appeared with the same emotionless face. "Hannah's office. Go". Mona walked off and Emily made her way to Hannah's office. Before she entered, a blonde-haired woman was already in a seat across from Hannah.

"Hello", Emily said to the both of them. The blonde turned around, revealing Alison's face. They made eye contact but quickly averted their eyes to make it less awkward.

"Have a seat", Hannah said motioning to a chair on the right of Alison. While Emily was taking a seat Hannah took a gulp of coffee.

"Wow. You said you got these beans from Columbia?"

"Yeah. My brother went there and taught me how to make it".

"Amazing!", Hannah said lowering her eyes in delight. Emily took a deep breath to release any feeling of jealousy that might form.

"Alright. Let's get to business. In two days, there be a tour for ten kids ages fourteen to seventeen who want to work here when their older. Since we're now a sponsor of the Dream Job Foundation, kids from all over the country apply and write essays to have a chance to to tour and get a feel of what it's like to work at their dream job. You two will lead the group together, share your experiences, let them ask questions, all that jazz". Both women nodded their head in response.

"Also...Emily remember the trip to Morocco?"

"Yes", Emily almost whispered worried about what she was going to say next.

"Say hello to your competition".

Emily slowly turned her head in Alison's direction. Why me? was all Emily could think about and Alison's confused expression was wasn't helping. Hannah explained everything to her while Emily stared at the clock waiting to leave.

"So in order for me to pick between the two of you… I want two photos based on the theme of happiness. They'll be due sometime in July. I'll email the date soon".

There was an awkward silence until Alison spoke, "Thank you for this opportunity Mrs. Marin".

"Please call me Hannah", she lightly chuckled. "Alright. That's all", putting on her glasses and glaring at her computer. The two woman got up and made their way to the door until they heard Hannah say something to herself, "Ugh. I need more coffee". While exiting the room Emily saw Alison speeding up toward the coffee machine which made her go faster. The sound of feet thumping on the floor echoed in the hallway. They both focused on the three coffee machines that were about fifteen feet away. Emily reach the machine with Alison slightly ahead of her. She grabbed a cup and quickly mentally measured the amount of grounds she needed. She snatched a plastic spoon and added sugar. Glancing to her right she saw Alison going the same pace as her. Add a crowd and you'd think it was a cooking show she thought. Emily impatiently waited for the hot water to fill the cup. As soon as it almost reached the top she let go of the button, grabbed the French vanilla cream, poured it to the top, and placed it back in the fridge. She debated on getting a top but decided not to, seeing Alison was almost finished. She picked up the cup and carefully spun around to start rushing down the hall. She smiled slightly knowing victory would be hers. She turned her head to see Alison now leaving with her cup of coffee. Emily was four doors away from Hannah's office ready to hand the coffee to her. Thinking it was smooth sailing from there, Greg appeared from an office two doors from Hannah's. Emily was caught off guard and was too close to stop herself from bumping into him. She slammed into him, resulting in the both of them falling and Emily being drenched and hot coffee. Emily couldn't even scream from the pain, but was thankfully that the cream had made it a little warmer.

"I'm so sorry!" Greg said helping Emily up. While he was helping her, she locked eyes with Alison and could have sworn she saw a light smirk. Alison passed them and went into Hannah's office.

"It's fine", Emily said now passing Hannah's office without looking inside. All she could focus on was getting to her office to retrieve her extra clothes and stop feeling sticky in places she shouldn't.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alison**

It was the day of the tour and Alison was more excited than she thought she would be. Being able to tell teenagers what it's actually to work there, especially from a newbies point of view. It would also be a chance to apologize to Emily for not helping her when she bumped into Greg. Because of her competitiveness she could not back down from the challenge. After handing Hannah the coffee she felt a little bit guilty (which was definitely rare for her). Hopefully she could stay on Emily's good side today.

 **Emily**

Emily was on the elevator headed to the lobby to meet the kids. When the doors opened she could see Alison standing, waiting for the kids to come. Emily slowly walked toward her, dreading the awkwardness that was bound to come. Once she reached the side of her, she didn't say anything. After a couple of seconds, Alison realized she was next to her and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Good morning", she said.

"Morning", Emily mumbled.

Emily could tell Alison saw the seriousness in her face and she started to speak again, "Emily I'm s-". _Swooosh._ A group of kids appeared exiting a school bus, walking onto the sidewalk. After filing into the building, a woman in her early forties came up to the both of them.

"Hello. I'm Jada. I'll be picking them up after the tour."

"Nice meeting you.", Emily said shaking her hand and Alison shaking it after.

"It's 12:30 now so I'll be back around… 3 o'clock."

"Sounds good. Thank you", Alison responded.

The woman left and the kids crowded around them. "Good morning everyone. I'm Emily and this is Alison and we will be your tour guides."

Emily glanced at them and saw that some of them looked excited and some looked like they were doing an inspection. _Please let this go well_ Emily thought.

A hour and a half passed and the kids were ready to have lunch. They went to the corner of the cafe and and the kids took out their food. Emily and Alison sat a couple feet away to give them some space. Minutes later, a girl about 16 years old saw the tension between the two young woman and decided to ask a question.

"What is one of your favorite things about working here?"

Emily glanced at Alison to figure out who should go first. Alison gestured for her to go so Emily gathered her thoughts.

"Well...I'd say the say family events. Sometimes we get free tickets to amusement parks, movies, baseball, basketball, and football games. So the chance to hang out with your family and friends is really cool. Plus watching a game that has the team you like.

"What's your favorite football team!?", a boy called out. Emily saw the other boys focused on her, as if the answer would make or break the way they'd feel about her.

"Giants of course", she responded. The boys nodded in agreement and continued eating.

"What about you?" the girl said wanting to hear Alison's answer. Emily was curious… _what could possibly be her favorite thing about being here. Blackmailing people? Playing with people's emotions?_

"I'd say the people I work with. Everyone here is so nice and the moment I came here I felt more comfortable than I thought I would. So if you decide to work here one day, you won't have to worry about feeling left out because everyone is so friendly and you really are a part of a team". Emily made a subtle movement, putting her hand under her chin to stop her jaw from dropping. _Oh she's good_ Emily thought.

 **Alison**

"Bye guys", Emily said, while the both of them waved. The kids were exiting the building, smiling and waving back. When the bus pulled off the two young women stood beside each other in silence. Alison knew this was her chance. This would be one of the few times they were alone, so she had to make the best of it.

"Emily. This morning I was trying to say that I'm-"

"Emily!" a loud voice from behind them screeched.

 _Really?_ Alison thought, rolling her eyes and then turning her head to see who called her. It was Aria, speed walking toward them. She made a sudden stop in front of Emily, "How was the tour?"

"It went well...they enjoyed themselves".

"That's good. Well, since I know you haven't got the chance to check your phone… Hannah sent out an email saying to meet up at the circle at 3:15 today". Alison remembered the circle was the biggest space in the building. It was where celebrations and important discussions or announcements were held.

"I wonder why?" Emily questioned."Who knows...lets go", she said while pulling Emily's arm in the the direction of the elevator.

"And hi Alison!" she yelled out while speeding away, Alison waved, slowly making her way to the elevator. This was going to be harder than she thought.

 **Emily**

Emily knew that Alison was trying to apologize to her since morning. She somewhat enjoyed the struggle Alison had when it came to talking to her. But she wasn't focused on that right now. Her and Aria were down the hall from the circle and she was interested in what Hannah was going to say.

"How's your tour guide partner?" Aria asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"She's fine" Emily responded. She didn't tell her friends about the coffee situation to prevent any type of conflict that could occur. She still had mixed emotions when it came to Alison and the tour made it worse. During the tour, Alison made the kids laugh and kept them engaged the whole time. Even Emily couldn't help herself from laughing sometimes or looking at her while she was speaking (without Alison noticing of course). It was like working with kids was her calling.

"Here we are", Aria said as they met up with Spencer in the room.

Five minutes later, Hannah arrived and stood in front everyone. After a couple of shh's it was completely silent.

"Good Afternoon everyone. To speed this up, I'll get straight to the point. Some of you know that in two weeks it will be Gems magazine's 10th anniversary. So there will be a celebration two saturdays from now. I'll email all the details today. Also, I want to say thank you to everyone for being a part of this team. Each and everyone of you are the reason why this company is so successful and how we can grow together and hopefully see a 20th anniversary".

Hannah continued for about three minutes and dismissed everyone. Emily was excited, knowing it would be her first time at a celebration for Gems. Who knew what was in store?

 **Authors note:** I'm sorry it's been forever! Once school started I was given so much work but since the year is almost over they're giving less. Most likely I'll be updating regularly again. Reviews are appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

"And thank you for reassuring me that I want to work here when I'm older".

"Awww!", her two best friends squealed, crowding around her. They were reading the thank-you notes that Emily received from the teenagers. "You two must make a pretty good team". Aria said with a wide grin. Emily stayed silent since she still didn't tell them about the coffee incident.

"Oh gosh. What happened now?" _Leave it to Spencer to figure something out_ Emily thought.

"What makes you think something happened? I can be silent...geesh", Emily responded looking away innocently.

"Spill it", Spencer said, waiting for Emily to respond. If they didn't like Alison before, she knew they definitely wouldn't like her now.

Emily told them and they couldn't be more angry.

"That's a real bitch move she made", Aria said.

"Yeah and lets not forget the fact that SHE LEFT YOU ON THE FLOOR DRENCHED IN HOT COFFEE", Spencer added.

"Lower your voice please. Lets not forget she's next door.", Emily said, nodding her head to the right.

"Why didn't you tell us?", Aria asked.

"I...uh…", Emily wished she could go back to the good times...like five minutes ago when they were reading thank-you notes.

 _Ding Ding_

A notification popped on Emily's computer. It was an email from Hannah. She clicked on it and quickly read the email aloud. "Good afternoon Emily. This email is in regards to the celebration that is a week from now. I would like for you to give a brief speech on your experience working with Gems and anything else you'd like to share..." She stopped reading to figure out if this was real or not.

"Wow congrats Em.", Spencer said patting her back.

"Thanks", she responded with her eyebrows slightly raised. Once again Emily was surprised that Hannah had picked her to be a part of something big in Gems. Yes, it was a tiny speech for a celebration but it meant a lot to her. There were about 200 workers and more were being hired because the company's success, so of course she felt honored to be thought of.

"We're incredibly happy for you, but don't think we are over what she did to you." Aria said eyeing Emily.

"Hey, it's not like I forgave her.", she responded in protest.

"So you haven't spoken to her at all?"

"Nope. She tried to speak to me a couple times but something always interrupted her.", she said with a small giggle.

"Mhnm. Okay. We are watching you Emily Fields." , Aria said pointing two of her fingers at each of her eyes and moving them clockwise towards Emily. Aria exited the room which left Spencer and Emily sitting in the office.

"Hey. I have to go but be careful with that one okay?" Spencer said with a face that Emily couldn't read.

"Pfffft. My middle name is careful. Plus, I don't really feel that way about her anymore, so it's all good."

"Right..", Spencer said leaving the room with an eyebrow raised.

Emily wasn't lying, or at least she didn't think that she was. Seeing the several sides of Alison really confused her but she felt like a relationship with her would be unlikely. Emily would want one deep down but Alison seemed to be a little...toxic and Emily didn't want to risk her feelings getting hurt. She shrugged it off and continued to read the email that Hannah had sent to her.

 **Alison**

It was the day before the celebration and Alison was preparing her speech. She was very surprised to receive an email from Hannah asking for her to speak at the party, but she decided not to question it.

"Ughhh!" she groaned.

Her thoughts had started wandering and she began thinking about Emily. Alison was getting slightly annoyed about the lack of time she had to talk to her. You'd think that people who worked next to each other would see each other a couple of times, but that definitely wasn't the case for the two of them. _Why am I such a handful?_ She had thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

Growing up in an unstable family, she was so used to starting trouble and being mean that it became a habit.. and sometimes a tiring one at that. There were a couple of times she tried to be nicer but there was always someone who pushed her buttons and made her explode. She decided to try it again. _It couldn't hurt I guess_ she thought. Who knew one person could make her want to change her ways. It was the last thing she expected to happen, but she felt kinda good knowing that Emily made her want to better herself without even knowing. She realized she wanted to be with Emily so she knew she couldn't mess up again, or for a while if anything. And thankfully there would be no way that she wouldn't be able to talk to her tomorrow at the party for the ten year anniversary.

 **Authors Note:** I'm sorry for the break. I know where the story is going but I didn't know how to write it but its working out. The next chapter will be much longer than this one.


	9. Chapter 9

**Emily**

It was the evening of the party and Emily was putting on her outfit for the special occasion. She chose a black dress that was fitted, strapless, and had a slit starting from the middle of her thigh to the end of the dress. She wanted to wear it at least once since she bought it for a wedding that got cancelled. It showed more skin than she was used to but wearing it for one night wouldn't hurt. She picked up her phone and set up a Lyft because she knew finding a parking spot would be almost impossible. _Ding._ She read the status of her driver, "George will be here in 4 minutes be ready!" She quickly put on her black suede heels, grabbed her mini saddle bag, and headed downstairs.

She exited out of the front door and spotted the Honda Sonata that resembled the one on her phone. She got in and the driver looked backed in awe.

"Emily?" he said to make sure he had the right customer.

"Yep. Good evening."

He shook his head and started to drive.

"May I ask where we are going today? You're looking super fancy and beautiful at that."

Emily's eyebrows rose in shock from the straightforwardness of the driver.

"Thank you. I'm going to a party-ish celebration for Gems magazine".

"No way! I love their magazines. Once they came out with their weekly issues when I was in highschool, I've never stopped getting them since. I especially love the parts were they say the activities going on for the week and the amazing restaurants in the city. That definitely helps a fellow Lyft driver out when customers ask if I know a good place to eat or open mic or something like that ya know?"

Emily was glad to meet someone who appreciated the magazine. "Yeah, definitely. Well believe it or not, today is the tenth anniversary."

"What?! The way time flies."

Emily arrived at the rented space in the East Village.

It was a pretty large space and she definitely didn't expect anything small when it came to Hannah.

"Thanks George!", she waved as she went up the stairs and into the building.

As she entered the building the first thing to catch her eye was the enormous chandelier hanging in the middle of the lobby. She saw the desk clerk to the left of the room and started walking toward him.

"Hi I'm here for Gems."

The worker smiled and told her the directions to the room. She walked to the right and started walking down the hall. A faint sound of Ella Mai's song "Boo'd Up" was becoming louder the closer she walked toward the large door, that was about twelve feet away from her.

She opened the door and stared in amazement. There was a bar in the corner, a stage on the opposite side with a DJ playing music, a dance floor, stairs that led to a mini balcony that overlooked the bottom floor, and a huge fish tank covering half the wall with all different color fish. _Leave it to Hannah_ she thought.

Emily looked around the room to find her friends and after a couple of seconds she found them sitting at a table talking with two other coworkers. She walked to them and joined the conversation. They talked for a long time and then Emily noticed that Hannah was onstage. The DJ cut off the music and Hannah began to speak.

 **Alison**

When Alison entered the door it sounded like Hannah just started talking. She was so glad she made it on time. She decided to trust her instinct and drive to the party, so finding parking took a while. Looking around the room, she walked to the table that had the most people she knew, which was fortunately the table behind Emily and her friends. She exchanged hellos with the table and Hannah continued to speak.

"I'm glad all of you were able to make it here and take part in celebrating our ten year anniversary!" Everyone applauded and there were some whistles.

"I chose some people to come up and talk about their experience at Gems or anything else they'd want to share. And to start off, I want to have my partner come up and say a few words. Lucas Gottesman has been here with me since day one. This company wouldn't be what it is today without him, so give it up!", there was more applause from the crowd, while Lucas was on his way to the stage.

"Thank you Hannah. Being a part of this company has...", Alison started to zone out and took out her phone to start scrolling through her instagram. After Lucas, there had been a couple others who gave their speeches. She was about to get up to use the bathroom, but then she heard Hannah call out Emily's name. Emily rose from her seat and started walking to the stage while everyone clapped. Alison was gawking at Emily in her black dress that exposed a lot of skin. She noticed her expression and quickly changed it before anyone could notice. Emily was now in front of the mic and gave a huge smile.

'Good evening everyone.", she said softly. The crowd replied with "good evenings" and "heys" but Alison could hear Spencer and Aria yelling louder than anyone else.

"To begin, I want to thank Hannah Marin for giving me the chance to be a part of this team. It's extremely rare for young adults to find a career so early in their life, but she gave me the opportunity to take part in this company."

As she spoke, Alison could see Emily's face light up while she was talking about Gems or retelling a funny story. She could tell Emily meant every word she said and was passionate about her job. Alison felt her stomach tingle. _Butterflies? No way._ She thought to herself. The last time time she got butterflies was in third grade when Peter Smith gave her, her first kiss. But it was certainly the familiar tickling sensation, swirling around in her upper abdomen, caused the woman on stage. _Oh, boy._

 **Emily**

"Thank you.", she ended her speech and walked off the stage as everyone applauded. As she sat down Aria lightly shook her shoulder.

"You did great Em!", Aria told her as she and Spencer were getting up. Spencer nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys."

"Well we have to go before we're late." Spencer said as they were putting on their jackets.

"Yeah, enjoy your time with your boo's and tell them I said hi.", Emily responded.

"Will do.", Spencer said.

They walked off, leaving Emily and two other co workers at the table. Hannah got back on stage to announce the person after her.

"Everyone, hang in there. We have one more person and the music and dancing will continue. Also, these speeches are giving me life as the young ones say, so with that being said give it up for our last speaker of the day...Alison DiLaurentis!

 _Alison?!_ Emily thought.

Emily followed the direction of everyone's eyes and it led to the table behind her. Alison was getting up and making her way to the stage. Emily was slightly annoyed because she felt like she couldn't have anything to herself. Not only that, but Alison had been there for less than a month and got so much praise. She didn't want to think about it, so she made her way to the bar.

The bartender was a man in a dark navy blue polo shirt and khaki pants. Before she even got close enough to sit down, he was already eyeing her. Emily sat on the stool and leaned both elbows on the counter.

"Tequila and lemon please. Just keep'em coming."

The man nodded and started making her drink. Emily looked back at the stage once more.

"...and having so many creative minds around me has been nothing but inspiring. I'm honored to be beside people who have accomplished incredible things and just want to grow together as a whole.."

Emily wondered if she meant it or if it was an act. She couldn't tell and who would know dealing with Alison. _Clink._ The glass hit the counter and Emily turned back around to down her drink.

 **An hour later**

Emily was visibly intoxicated and was dancing with one of the workers she barely knew. She was moving to the fast paced music to the best of her ability while being in heels and not being capable of balancing. She saw a staff member walking around with champagne glasses on a silver plate.

"I'll take that.", she said while almost snatching it. She took a sip and continued dancing. She looked to her left of the dancefloor and saw Alison dancing with a couple other people.

"Ughhh", she groaned.

"Is everything okay?", the man she was dancing with asked.

"I mean...is anything okay? Because people get away with soooo manyy things these days. Amiright?" Emily asked.

"Uhhh I-"

"Ya knowwhat? I'm going to tell the people what they need to hear. The people have a right to know! And I'm gonna tell 'em.", she said pointing to herself.

She gave her glass to the man and made her way to the stage.

 **Alison**

Alison was dancing with a group of people and stopped after hearing a buzz from the microphone. She looked at the stage and saw Emily giving the DJ a gesture to stop the music. He raised his brow in suspicion but stopped it anyway. She wobbled toward the front of the stage.

"Hey! We having a good time?!" she yelled.

The crowd responded with cheers and nods.

"Gooood. I'm glad to hear it, but I have something else to say. Let's call this...Emily's speech 2.0."

There were a few laughs within the crowd. Alison moved closer to the stage to get a better look. _Is she drunk?_ She thought in disbelief.

"Okay. Okay. so..", squinting one eye to get her thought back. "This is a reminder that...everything you see..isn't what it is.", Emily said starting to pace back and forth.

Alison knew she had to get her before this would get worse. She raced towards the steps to the stage and saw Paige coming on the opposite side. They were going the same speed, but since Emily was pacing in Alison's direction, she got to her first. Alison lightly grabbed Emily's hand and guided her off the stage. Paige was left on the stage with many eyes glaring at her.

"Continue with your dancing.", she said and glanced at the DJ to play the music.

The music started and Paige sped off the stage.

"I think I'm gonna to puke.", Emily said.

Alison made her walk faster on their way to the bathroom. Once she reached the toilet she vomited. Alison held her hair and rubbed her back. They stayed in the stall for five extra minutes just in case.

"Alright, I'm taking you home.", Alison said holding her up.

"Nuh uh.", she said shaking her head.

"It's not a question Emily.",she retorted.

They made their way into Alison's car and she asked Emily for the address.

"I'll tell you if you tell me your secret."

"Secret?", Alison was genuinely confused.

"How do you get people to like you and want to know you so fast?"

"I don't know.", Alison responded.

"Then I don't know my address.", Emily said looking out the window.

Alison rolled her eyes. "I guess talking is my forte. I know what to say in order to make people interested, and I go on by that. But in the end, they're only there for the story and not for me. You've got real friends Emily, so you shouldn't worry about it."

Alison couldn't believe she said all that. She looked at Emily and it felt like she was seeing her soul through her eyes.

"205 Parkton Road." Emily said quietly with a small smile.

The drive there was quiet since Emily fell asleep. When they arrived, Alison was thankful to see someone pulling out of a parking spot in front of Emily's apartment. She parked and helped Emily all the way to her bed. Emily plopped on the mattress and almost immediately started snoring lightly. Alison took off her heels and put the cover over her. Then, she put two aspirin, a mini water bottle, and a note she wrote on the nightstand. As she was heading toward the door she paid more attention to the studio apartment. Emily had a bunch of photos and paintings hanging on the walls. Also, there were a few pieces of furniture, which made the space look larger.

"Goodnight Emily.", she said as she shut the door and went on her way.

 **Author's note:** Told you I'd make it longer. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thoughts/Comments appreciated. :)


End file.
